Sugar and Spice

My Sweet and Sassy Erin
How could anyone not love that face? Erin is my baby, the youngest of two girls. That certainly doesn't stop her from hitting the world head on with her spunk and mischievous smile. In what I like to call the "Second Child Syndrome", Erin will do whatever she needs to in order to step out of big sister's shadow. As I mentioned in a previous post, her latest trick is performing. She'll stand in the middle of the room and do her "routine": "Ladies and Gentleman! I am going to get my booty on and sing the Wonka Song!
'I want today I want tomorrow I want to wear 'em like braids in my hair And I don't want to share 'em I want a party with room fulls of laughter Ten thousand tons of ice cream And if I don't get the things I am after I'm going to scream!'" The anthem of a screaming brat is my baby's favorite song...go figure. But, Erin isn't like that--and that's not just a mom's bias talking. She is so sensitive and empathetic. When a friend hurts, she hurts. She feels things to the bone. Sometimes it actually overwhelming for me to see how much Erin takes in. This is not to stay that she's perfect. She fully embraces her "three-ness". With an independent streak that can frustrate even the most patient person, Erin sometimes makes me wanna pull out my hair. But, all she has to do is give a smile like the one in that picture and I can't stay mad at her long. Erin is a fighter. She doesn't give up and she's strong. She was quite sick as a baby and even now, with surgery looming (just for tonsils/adenoids) she simply says, "I'm going to the hospital! YEAH!" She's one of the only kids I know who likes the doctor and/or the hospital. Erin's easygoing and is able to roll with the punches--go with the flow. A lot of people (including myself and DH) compare her with her big sister, who is very bright. Erin is smart, but in a different way...and sometimes I think she may ultimately be better prepared for the world around her than her sister. My baby really isn't a baby anymore...but as long as she doesn't mind being called that...I'll keep right on doing it.